The Pain of the Past
by Megan Hahn
Summary: A story about a vault dweller girl who gets kicked out and is forced to live in the horrid wasteland.
1. Chapter 1

A tumbleweed pasted in front of my feet, causing a cloud of dust to form behind it. I looked up to the foreign light which blinded my eyes and forced me to look away. My skin was burning from an unknown source, I was now in the wasteland; the brutal wasteland I've been told about my entire life. I was now all alone in this unexplored wasteland, the only other vault escapee was my friend's father, a savage beast trapped inside a man's body, and I had no interest bunking with him.

I didn't know where I was going to go but I just knew I had to leave. I readjusted the backpack the Overseer gave me.

"_Thank you Alexandria. Now you have earned your freedom." He rose from the bed and walked over to a locker. In my mind I hoped he'd put some clothes on but I doubted that was what he was doing. "Take this." The Overseer tossed me a backpack filled with basic necessities. "You may put your clothes back on." I felt as if I need his permission to put my clothing back on, I didn't want to anger him. For the first time I felt a little bit afraid of him._

_I stood up from his bed and slipped my jumpsuit back on. I felt dirty, disgusting; I wanted to take a shower but that would force me to be here longer than I wanted to be. "What is that password?" I questioned him quietly._

"_Oh, of course, I'll walk you out." _

_I never liked the Overseer, I hated how he ruled the vault but if he didn't have any power he'd just be another man. He'd maybe even be a man I felt attraction to. He was definitely attractive with his long jet black hair commonly tied back, poisonous green eyes, pale skin, and plenty toned body. But behind the hansom disguise was something evil, something manipulative, something that always got what it wanted. All of the vault dwellers feared him and at the same time worshiped him. The Overseer could have any woman he wanted but in all of his twenty-eight years I've only saw him with one woman, his ex girlfriend. They were together through high school then he got her pregnant, he stay with her for sometime but got fed up with her and left her caring for his child. Sure he'd occasionally check out one of the vault sluts but he always gave me a different look then all the other girls. When we made eye contact I felt his hate for me but strangely at the same time I felt his lust for me. Maybe that's why he was always so forgiving of my vile actions and bitter words, though I wouldn't call beating me repeatedly forgiving, I could say he could've done much worse._

_But everything had changed once I slept with him; I couldn't look into his eyes without feeling like a scared child. I wanted to run from his gaze, run back to my mother who would just cuss me out and push me away. _

I snapped out of my trance and looked around. "What have I got myself into this time?" As I searched the landscape more thoroughly I verified I was completely alone. "I should probably get going." I thought out loud.

* * *

After walking for an hour or so I stopped. I felt as if I wasn't making progress, like I was walking in one giant circle. The sun kept beating down on me, baking my body inside the leather jumpsuit. I striped the top off and tied it around my waist, it's a good thing I always wear a tank top. My handy pip-boy sat on my wrist and reflected the sunlight into my eyes.

When you first get your pip-boy it feels bulky, out of place, like your wrist may fall off from the weight. But now whenever I take it off my wrist feels bare. I pressed the power button and waited for it to warm up.

Tomorrow I would've got back my G.O.A.T. results. Most kids were anxious for their results, I understand why. After all these people do think the test will decide their futures. The test truthfully doesn't matter; it's just there to make you think your fate isn't already decided. What position you get is all based in your popularity, your parents' popularity, and what jobs you parents have. For example: my friend Elizabeth, my friend, will most likely become a pip-boy programmer. They will probably pick her because her mother taught her the basics and we haven't had anyone in the workshop since her mom was murdered.

My pip-boy _pinged_ letting me know it was finally awake. I looked down at it and pressed a few buttons. Health, no. Notes, no. Radiation, no. Maps, perfect. I searched the now useful map for a few moments, there was nothing marked, nothing that showed where people were living. I'm just going to shoot blindly and hope for the best. I placed my marker on the map and started to head in that direction.

* * *

There was nothing here, nothing at all. I am almost certain that the waste land is barren. I haven't even seen a predator. I hate to say this but I'd actually like to be attacked, at least I'd know there is something out here. I looked back down at my pip-boy, I had definitely came closer to where I was headed but I haven't seen any change in the scenery. It was excruciatingly hot and I was dehydrated. I had already searched the backpack for a bottle of water but the Overseer seemed to have neglected to fact I needed water. I walked a few more steps; to my left was a dirty pool of water. I wasn't hallucinating, it was definitely there. Maybe it isn't clean but it is water.

I kneeled down next to pool and cup some water in my hands. I gulped down the horrible taste, I don't care how bad it tastes, I just need water. The warm goo ran down my throat having the same burning sensation as stomach acid. I almost threw up as it made it down my throat, but I didn't. I continued to drink the sludge until I felt my body couldn't take anymore.

The sun began to set, throwing pinks, reds, yellows, and oranges across the dimming sky. I felt worse than I ever had before, my insides burned. I felt dizzy, I couldn't walk straight, almost like I was drunk. My legs tripped over one another making me fall to the ground. I hit my head on the way down; I knew I had a new gash in forehead. My body started throwing up convulsions until all the water and food of earlier came out. I couldn't move, I tried but my throbbing head wouldn't allow. I am going to die here, next to a pile of my own throw up, with a gash in my head, and still wearing my vault 100 jumpsuit. Everything began to spin around me; I can't focus on one thing. Then everything went black and my head fell to the ground.

* * *

**Hey guys I hope you like my new story! If you don't already know this is a story about my character from the story The Burn of Radiation. If you haven't already read the story check it out, it's on Melissa Schmitt's profile because both of us are working on it. She is also writing a separate story about her character called The Beginning so check it out also. Please PM me if you have any comments, questions, concerns, or suggestions. Feel free to comment and thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke a few hours later when the stars had taken over the entire sky. I was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, it was like tiny lights dotted across the sky. I wouldn't mind just laying here but the vile smelling pile of throw up next to me made me want to leave as quickly as possible, maybe someday I'll be able to just sit there and watch them. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and sat there a second. My head throbbed a bit but nothing severe; there was a line of blood originating from the gash in my head but it wasn't too bad. I stood up to my feet and steadied myself. "If the sun set over there," I looked behind me "Then the moon probably rose from the opposite direction." I observed out loud. "Since the moon's at the peak of the sky it's most likely around midnight." I continued on my journey as I hoped I would finally find civilization.

* * *

The road I continued down was razed by all of the radiation it's been soaked in. I couldn't imagine what a human would like if they had been in the radiation for that long. The world was so different than what I wanted to believe it to look like. They use to show us pictures of the Earth before it was destroyed, it was beautiful with patches of green everywhere. But now the land was torn up and veiled in dull browns.

I just want to find someone, something, anything. I never really had problems with lack of socialization but now it just felt weird being surrounded by silence. I definitely didn't want to go back but if there is nothing out here I'd have a choice to die out here or beg to be taken back in. I'm certain there should at least be a few Radroaches, how else would they have ended up in our vault?

My lips were chapped and my throat burned; I want something to drink but I not to the point where I'll drink from a puddle again. I sat down to calm my pounding head, there was a dull shine in the distance almost like the moon was reflecting off of something metallic. Why would there be a giant, metallic thing in the middle of nowhere? It's worth a shot, what's the worst thing that could happen?

* * *

As I neared the structure I could finally see it clearly. It was a leviathan dome made out of multiple patches of metal. Some patches were old and encased in rust, others shone in the moonlight. This structure didn't seem like something that would be built before the bombs fell, but I could be wrong. I jumped down off a rock and continued towards the front of the cupola. Little beams of light bled through small rifts in the bulward.

As I turned around the corner of the lights on the bubble blinded me. "Welcome to Megaton. The bomb is perfectly safe. We promise." A protectron said to me with it's creepy robotic voice.

"Bomb?" The word kind of sounded like a croak; my voice surprised me from not using it for so long.

"The bomb is perfectly safe. We promise." The robot repeated its line once again. "Have yourself a nice visit, partner." It seemed like he was going through all of his line in just our first meeting. "Need some grub? Try the Brass Lantern." He was getting annoying but I was glad he was at least here.

"Umm, thank you." I was about to smile at him but then realised it was pointless to smile at something that couldn't even see it.

The criss crossing gates opened to reveal yet another gate. I wasn't sure what I'd find, maybe a colony of bones or a party of mutated creatures. I took a deep breath and walked through the gate. The town was made out of metal and water pipes were woven in and out of of the ground. "Bomb, eh?" A large atomic bomb sat peacefully in the cities center. Though the robot had said the bomb was safe i doubted that anyone had tried to make in permanently dormant. Runways were strung through building that towered over the city square.

"Watch where you're going." A body bumped into me and continued to walk.

"What? I didn't run into you, you ran into me." I said to an already gone man.

A tall black man came up to me and planted his hand on my shoulder. "Name's Lucas Simms, town sheriff. And mayor too, when the need arises."

"Hello." I said quietly and tried to remove myself from his gap. "Is there anywhere I can sleep for the night?"

"Moriarty's Saloon if you have the caps?" He looked at my jumpsuit. "I don't reckon you have any caps."

"No sir, I don't. By the way what are caps? Like bottle caps?"

"Yes, they serve as our money. Don't tell anyone but I'll give you some caps for a bed." He slid a small bag of caps into my hand. "You got a pretty good cut there; you might want Dr. Church to check it out."

I reached up to the line of dried blood. "Thank you sir." I started to walk to the building with the bright neon light. I've never been this tired in my entire life. My feet began to drag and my head started to spin. I walked behind one of the buildings, slipped off my backpack, and laid on the ground. Sleep came quickly.

* * *

**Yay, civilization! Who doesn't love Megaton? Other than those people who blow it up, everyone. Though I have to admit blowing it up is actually really fun. PM me if you need anything, please comment, and thanks for reading. **


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